Free pineapple on pizza offered in Hong Kong after Edgar Cheung Ka Long’s gold win over Italy opponent

Pizza Hut Hong Kong celebrated Edgar Cheung Ka-long’s gold medal win against Italy’s Filippo Macchi, in a 15-14 victory in the men’s individual foil fencing event at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday, by offering free pineapple toppings for its Hawaiian Paradise Pizza. The promotion was available at all Pizza Hut Hong Kong branches on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Unsatisfying result: Cheung’s win in sudden death, which came after three stoppages during the match in which referees had to review video after the fencing machine registered the athletes’ points simultaneously, prompted the Italian Fencing Federation to file an official protest to the International Olympic Committee and the International Fencing Federation over the result. Italian Fencing Federation President Paolo Azzi noted in a statement on Instagram, “Never seen anything like this. Filippo Macchi is the real winner and he was denied a gold he deserved.” Italy’s Olympic Committee President Giovanni Malago also pointed out in his statement that “the two judges were from Taipei and Korea in a final between Italy and Hong Kong,” seemingly suggesting that the two Asian nations were biased in favor of Hong Kong.
Why pineapple?: As a long-running internet debate, pineapple on pizza has always been viewed by some, including Italians, as “sacrilegious” because the fruity topping seems out of place in the popular Italian dish, which traditionally consists of meat, cheese, tomato sauce and herbs. Some fans in Hong Kong reportedly stoked the fire by commenting on Cheung’s Instagram post to further agitate Italians, writing, “I like pineapple pizza and pasta with soy sauce.”

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